Quarter Hoarder

Things are always ch-ch-ch-changin’ when you have something new and exciting going in your everyday activities, whether it’s a new job, a new school, or in my case, a new residence.

Gone are the days of the laundry facilities right outside my bedroom door in the House That Dave Leased. I still have the laundry right outside the door, but now it costs a buck to wash, a buck to dry, and instead of sharing with one person, I share with seven. There are two of each, though.

But yeah, so there’s no change machine or anything in the laundry room, so you gots to haves your quarters. I haven’t had any for a while, and I took some clothes up north to wash a couple weeks ago, but earlier in the week, I got cash from the ATM, picked up 20 bucks in quarters at J&J’s Laundromat on Main & Scott, and so now I have a small collection of quarters in a dish at home, exclusively for use in the laundry.

It makes me sad that 20 dollars is only going to finish 10 loads.

I might have a plan, though: Droste has a washer and dryer in his apartment, which is fully subsidized by the University (since he’s a hall director, and all) and I have been invited to wash clothes there at my leisure. Make no mistake, I *will* take advantage.

The other plan, should the Droste machine be unavailable or inadequate, is to do the washing at home (a dollar’s a pretty good deal), and then load up the car to use the industrial-strength dryers up the street. Those suckers dry like mad, and you can buy 12 minutes at a time for a quarter. I can get the same bang for 50 or 75 cents down there that will cost me at least a buck at home. I am thinking all the time.

I didn’t finish my book yesterday and it’s starting to get frustrating. I just want it to be over. I wound up watching ’24’ instead of reading, and that was compelling, sure, but dammitall, why do I so easily give in to the temptation(s) of my innumerable entertainment options?

I got to work this morning at 7:42 (getting better at getting up on time in the AM; the last few days, I’ve woken first at 5:40, sans alarm) and as soon as I sat down, I remembered that I needed to buy more coffee. So I went on a run, I was back by 8, which, if you ask me, isn’t bad. There are days I read the paper in the bathroom longer than that.

Jim said I could have the couch in his apartment, so I want to get that taken care of as soon as I can. Getting some furniture is really going to start tying the room together. After the couch, I think I could use a rug.

Stay tuned for some of the highlights to come later in the week(end):
– the rebirth of polling on Jason’s site!
– the resurgence of the Interesting & the Factual?